Akram Khan is quite aware that a selection committee made up of three former national captains would face a different set of challenges.

The burly batsman of the yesteryears cut a cake yesterday at the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) headquarters, in the presence of the 32 elite cricketers called up for the fitness camp and other board officials, to mark the start of his reign as the chief alongside fellow selectors Habibul Bashar and Minhazul Abedin Nannu. Such celebratory practices are rare with the cricket board, perhaps an attempt to catch up with the times.

Akram said that due to the make-up of this new committee, a lot will be expected of them.

"I am lucky to have two former captains alongside me," said Akram. "[Minhazul Abedin] Nannu bhai was into coaching while I have been a selector for the past three and a half years. [Habibul Bashar] Sumon too has recently stopped playing so I think this is a good mix."

There will always be a distance between selectors and players no matter how congenial the environment is, Akram stressing that he would still try and make players feel like they are in a "family".

Akram, who led Bangladesh between 1995 and 1998 during which he steered the national team to the ICC Trophy, probably remembers his last days with the Tigers as they weren't all rosy and it was no different for the two other selectors, in Nannu's case the whole nation famously taking his side after he was not included in the 1999 World Cup squad.

But all three steered clear of any such parley and focused on how they can use their experience in a positive manner.

"The average age of this team is 22-23 but we'd like to see it become 27. I don't think we will make many changes, and you would have seen the same in the last few years.

"We realise that there are very few back-up players so our focus will be to try and find many more from the age-group and develop them," said Akram.

Nannu, who was head coach of the Under-19 team till last year's World Cup, said that the new job will be challenging. "If I am honest, I can do well. We have understanding among each other as we have played together," he said.

Bashar added that his proximity with the players, given that he is the last among this group to have retired from international cricket, will be of advantage. "I think I will take this positively and it will help me. I won't have to rely on statistics because I know them very well," he said.

The day was also the start of the camp which was attended by all the players except for skipper Shakib Al Hasan (county stint), Tamim Iqbal, Shafiul Islam (heel) and Zunaed Siddiqui.

The cricketers will be given a break today due to the general strike, returning to training on Monday

Question:
Shafiul and Shakib have reason to be absent, but why are Tamim and Zunaed away then? Bloody holiday most likely. . .+